Shearing the "Tea Party" Sheep

[Rohirrim]

In the 19th century Americans had a name for people like this; Hucksters.

His behavior is not anomalous. Steele is representative of a fascinating but little noted development on the right: the rise of buckrakers who are exploiting the party’s anarchic confusion and divisions to cash in for their own private gain. In this cause, Steele is emulating no one if not Sarah Palin, whose hunger for celebrity and money outstrips even his own. As many suspected at the time, her 2008 campaign wardrobe, like the doomed campaign itself, was just a preview of coming attractions: she would surely dump the bother of serving as Alaska’s besieged governor for a lucrative star turn on Fox News. Last week she made it official.

Both Steele and Palin claim to be devotees of the tea party movement. “I’m a tea partier, I’m a town-haller, I’m a grass-roots-er” is how Steele put it in a recent radio interview, wet-kissing a market he hopes will buy his book. Palin has far more grandiose ambitions. She recently signed on as a speaker for the first Tea Party Convention, scheduled next month in Nashville — even though she had turned down a speaking invitation from the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, the traditional meet-and-greet for the right. The conservative conference doesn’t pay. The Tea Party Convention does. A blogger at Nashville Scene reported that Palin’s price for the event was $120,000. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/opinion/17rich.html?

[epicSocialism4tw]

The "Tea Party" movement is the most interesting political movement since the 60's.

Here we have a grass roots political movement that has a core of solidarity that rivals any movement since the Civil Rights movement. Not surprisingly, the Tea Party movement is a civil rights movement as well.

This movement has arisen outside the reach of traditional main-stream media and has already begun to change the course of the upcoming 2010 elections. Shouting it down will do no good.

This is about a variant of property ownership in terms of taxation at its core, and that's the same issue that led to revolution on this continent.

[Pseudofool]

Originally Posted by McSkillet

The "Tea Party" movement is the most interesting political movement since the 60's.

Interesting in shadenfreude kind of way.

But there's nothing new here politically. The Neo-cons actually brought something new to American politics, and Goldwater and Buckley before them. The tea-party is just recycled right-wing crap--it's Rush and Beck listeners gathering in large numbers.

I don't understand how any can believe there's a real, concerted grass roots effort here when they have a new network and some well-established radio bastions sounding the horn.

[peacepipe]

The "Tea Party" movement is the most interesting political movement since the 60's.

Not even close,but nice try.

[peacepipe]

Originally Posted by Pseudofool

Interesting in shadenfreude kind of way.

But there's nothing new here politically. The Neo-cons actually brought something new to American politics, and Goldwater and Buckley before them. The tea-party is just recycled right-wing crap--it's Rush and Beck listeners gathering in large numbers.

I don't understand how any can believe there's a real, concerted grass roots effort here when they have a new network and some well-established radio bastions sounding the horn.

Exactly, It's just the core of the republican base throwing a collective temper tantrum.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by Pseudofool

Interesting in shadenfreude kind of way.

But there's nothing new here politically. The Neo-cons actually brought something new to American politics, and Goldwater and Buckley before them. The tea-party is just recycled right-wing crap--it's Rush and Beck listeners gathering in large numbers.

I don't understand how any can believe there's a real, concerted grass roots effort here when they have a new network and some well-established radio bastions sounding the horn.

Not true at all. In fact, I would say that that type of opinion only reveals an uneducated opinion on the matter.

What you and the rest of the dem-addicts fail to realize is that guys like Beck and Limbaugh are popular because that market already exists. They havent magically created a market. This isnt the democratic party where you plan to subjugate the idiots. The conservatives appeal to the individual's right to control their own domain, not to be subjugated by the domain of an elite class. They appeal to individualists. Its quite the stark contrast to the modern "democrat" which is now readily admitting that "democrat" is just about equivalent to Communist.

The Tea Party movement is an anti-communism movement. Its the first that has sprung up from within the people. Its the first time that communism has tried to destroy the house from within, and many Americans are too stupid to see what is happening...the ones that are subjugated by the elite class. Ironically those that are sold out to the propaganda are the middle class "democrats", who are becoming more and more comfortable with the language and ideology of pure communism.

[Pseudofool]

Originally Posted by McSkillet

Not true at all. In fact, I would say that that type of opinion only reveals an uneducated opinion on the matter.

Truth! Facts! Opinions! A sentence like this is the first sign of horse****. If you want to roll up your sleeves and be a ****ing scholar, I can bring it. I doubt you can.

What you and the rest of the dem-addicts fail to realize is that guys like Beck and Limbaugh are popular because that market already exists

Of course there's a bunch of right wing crazies out there. There always has been. Just because there's a lot of them doesn't mean 1) they are new in their political persuasions or "interesting" or 2) not crazy.

The conservatives appeal to the individual's right to control their own domain

Oh awesome. So like if I pull on my bootstraps hard enough, I'm success-bound! Luke, if you only join me, you will be able to control your OWN DOMAIN! BWHAWHAHWA!

They appeal to individualists.

This isn't true at all. One the major faults of liberal advocacy is that any given liberal has any number of different causes which they prioritizes, making it difficult to get liberals to get much done. Conservatives on the other hand choose either between jesus and the market as their causes; there's no nuance, no individuation at all.

Its quite the stark contrast to the modern "democrat" which is now readily admitting that "democrat" is just about equivalent to Communist.

Next thing you know we'll be sending Black people back to the fields to get back to work. Oh wait, that's you guys.

The Tea Party movement is an anti-communism movement. Its the first that has sprung up from within the people.

Sprung? ! Bull****. The anticommunist movement is older than McCarthy. It didn't spring from anywhere, it's been a-****ing-round.

Its the first time that communism has tried to destroy the house from within

McCarthy was supported by a frothing populist movement not unlike those who gather for these teaparty rallies. There's nothing "first" about this at all.

and many Americans are too stupid to see what is happening...the ones that are subjugated by the elite class.Ironically those that are sold out to the propaganda are the middle class "democrats", who are becoming more and more comfortable with the language and ideology of pure communism.

When you get going like this you need to borrow mhgaffeney's tinfoil hat. A rightwinger talking about hegemony--it's ****ing great. Buddy, you are the elite class. And it's a testament to the effectiveness of your ideology that you'd refuse to admit. It's quite fascinating really.

[Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by McSkillet

Not true at all. In fact, I would say that that type of opinion only reveals an uneducated opinion on the matter.

What you and the rest of the dem-addicts fail to realize is that guys like Beck and Limbaugh are popular because that market already exists. They havent magically created a market. This isnt the democratic party where you plan to subjugate the idiots. The conservatives appeal to the individual's right to control their own domain, not to be subjugated by the domain of an elite class. They appeal to individualists. Its quite the stark contrast to the modern "democrat" which is now readily admitting that "democrat" is just about equivalent to Communist.

The Tea Party movement is an anti-communism movement. Its the first that has sprung up from within the people. Its the first time that communism has tried to destroy the house from within, and many Americans are too stupid to see what is happening...the ones that are subjugated by the elite class. Ironically those that are sold out to the propaganda are the middle class "democrats", who are becoming more and more comfortable with the language and ideology of pure communism.

My only response to this post?






BTW, nice "missing the point" on the thread. This thread does not offer an opinion about the "tea partiers." It's about how people like Palin and Steele are using them for their own self-enrichment. In carnival-speak, they're called rubes. Once again, no read the article but comment anyway.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by Pseudofool

--it's Rush and Beck listeners gathering in large numbers.

You mean DramaQueen and his buddies?